The draft of an agreement between Russia and Ukraine negotiated in 2022 could serve as a starting point for possible talks aimed at ending a war that has already entered its third year the Kremlin said this Friday.
The document that was discussed in Istanbul in March 2022 could be “the basis for starting negotiations,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who highlighted that these hypothetical contacts would have to take into account the “new realities”.
“There have been many changes since then, new entities have been included in our Constitution,” Peskov said in a video conference with reporters.
In September 2022, Russia four Ukrainian regions were annexeda measure that kyiv and its Western allies reject, calling it illegal.
Peskov’s statement came after Russian President Vladimir Putin mocked the eve of possible peace talks on Ukraine to be held in Switzerland in June, warning that Moscow will not accept any forced peace plan.
“We are ready to work constructively, but we will not accept any attempt to impose a position that is not based on reality,” said the president during the meeting he held in Moscow with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, adding that the draft of the Istanbul document It could serve as a basis for contacts. “We can work with that,” he noted.
Apparently, the document that was discussed in Istanbul weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, included provisions regarding the neutral status of Ukraine and impose limitations on its armed forces. At that time no agreement was reached and the negotiations failed after that round of contacts.
Russia has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace formula, which calls for withdrawal of Moscow troops the payment of compensation to Ukraine and that the actions of the Kremlin are tried in an international courtl. Putin has reiterated that he sent his troops to Ukraine to protect Russia’s interests and prevent kyiv posed a greater threat for the security of Moscow upon joining NATO. Ukraine and its allies have called the Russian military campaign an unprovoked act of aggression.
The Russian leader has pledged to expand Moscow’s advances in the neighboring country, stating that His forces have the advantage after the failure of the rival counteroffensiveand that “sooner or later” kyiv and the West will have to accept an agreement on the Kremlin’s terms.